A 1999 International box truck, used for years to pick up food for the local SERVE food pantry, is falling down on the job.
"We've been told our truck was on its last leg," said Steve Mallinckrodt, executive director at SERVE. "It's just seen better days."
Even the white paint is faded and chalky, but that's not the worst of the old truck's problems.
"The box leaks and the door comes off the tracks," Mallinckrodt said.
It breaks down a lot, and SERVE could use a larger rig, too, said food pantry manager Brittany Lenhart.
"We're hoping to get a little bit bigger so we can fit an extra two pallets on it," she said. "That's a lot of food. And it would be nice to have a reliable truck to make our weekly deliveries."
In order to pick up food in Columbia, Jefferson City and Mexico, a "new" used truck is needed. To that end, the SERVE Food Pantry Challenge is underway.
Because of a law in the state's tax code, half of each donation made to a food pantry in Missouri is deductible, because of Missouri Food Pantry tax credits. Plus, Callaway Bank officials have said they will match by 100 percent each donation if that donation is made, or even pledged, before May 31 - up to $5,000, he said.
A new truck is pretty expensive, he added. "We expect it to be between $25,000 and $30,000," he added. "We haven't picked out a truck yet; we're shopping."
SERVE's food pantry helps about 900 families a month, he also said. "That's over 3,000 people each month," he said. "We give out a million dollars in food a year. It's pretty amazing."
That figure, to be precise, is $1,172,104.68, which paid for 689,473 pounds of food distributed in 2015, the letter stated. Poverty has a strong toehold in Callaway County, Mallinckrodt said.
"I see it every day," he added. "We have people who need help with prescriptions, too. It's a tremendous challenge."
So far, just $12,000 has been raised toward the new truck. Anyone willing to help or donate can contact SERVE at 573-642-6388, ext. 7.